Mahama cuts sod for 1,238-acre Afienya Industrial Park to attract over 120 enterprises

President John Dramani Mahama has cut the sod for the Afienya Industrial Park, a 1,238-acre industrial development expected to accommodate more than 120 enterprises and strengthen Ghana’s position as a manufacturing and logistics hub in West Africa.

The project, being spearheaded by the Ghana Free Zones Authority (GFZA), is expected to provide serviced industrial plots, ready-to-use factory shells and essential infrastructure to attract investors and support industrial growth.

The sod-cutting ceremony was attended by the Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare; Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith; GFZA Chief Executive Officer Mary Awusi; and several industry players and industrial workers.

Investor demand drives project

President Mahama said the development was intended to address the growing demand for industrial space in Ghana, particularly after the Tema Export Processing Zone ran out of available plots for prospective investors.

He said the GFZA’s notification that the Tema zone could no longer accommodate interested businesses was an indication of growing investor confidence in the country.

“When the Ghana Free Zones Authority informed me that the Tema Export Processing Zone had no space left to allocate to interested industries, it was an encouraging sign of investor interest in Ghana's economic progress,” the President said.

He cited figures from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre indicating that registered foreign direct investment had increased from $624 million in 2024 to $2.62 billion in 2025.

“All these investors who are bringing their money here to invest need space to establish their businesses and build their factories, and so the Afienya Industrial Park is our response,” he stated.

The President disclosed that the New Economy Programme would provide part of the funding for infrastructure development at the park. He added that the Minister of Finance was expected to present the programme’s full framework to Parliament in the 2027 Budget.

Location and priority investment sectors

The Afienya Industrial Park is strategically located along the Eastern Corridor Road, within reach of the Port of Tema. It is also expected to benefit from the Tema-Mpakadan standard-gauge railway line, which passes through the enclave.

The park is expected to attract businesses involved in cocoa processing, cashew and oil palm processing, textiles and garments, pharmaceuticals, medical consumables, automotive components and assembly, and light engineering.

Other targeted areas include logistics, data services, business process outsourcing, renewable energy and green manufacturing.

Litigation-free land and ready infrastructure

President Mahama said the availability of litigation-free land would give the park a major advantage, particularly because disputes over industrial land acquisition have been a longstanding challenge for businesses in Ghana.

“What the Afienya Industrial Park will do is that if an investor brings his money, he does not need to go looking for land. You come, the land is litigation-free, the services will be available, and we will bring the power, the water, the waste treatment plants, security, roads, everything here.

“All you need is to come, build your factory, bring your machines, and start to produce,” he assured.

He directed the GFZA to include clear service standards in concession agreements and make them publicly available to ensure investors understand the services they should receive and how performance will be measured.

Free Zones contribute billions in export earnings

The President praised the performance of the Tema Export Processing Zone over the past three decades, saying it had supported the establishment of more than 80 enterprises and generated over $34 billion in export earnings.

He further disclosed that exports under the Free Zones Scheme amounted to approximately $3.1 billion in 2025, with an additional $1.4 billion recorded in the first half of 2026.

The scheme has also supported more than 78,000 direct jobs, 98 per cent of which are held by Ghanaians.

President Mahama stressed that residents of Afienya and neighbouring communities must benefit from the new development. He called for training programmes to equip local people with the skills required to secure employment at the park.

He also identified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a major opportunity for businesses operating from the enclave, urging manufacturers to comply with the standards required to compete in Ghanaian and regional markets.

“My message to investors, therefore, is clear. Establish your businesses here, develop your products here, and use Ghana as the launching pad to reach customers across Africa and beyond,” he said.

Afienya designed as a next-generation industrial zone

Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare said the park had been designed as a modern industrial zone built around digital connectivity, environmental sustainability and integrated value chains.

She said renewable energy, data connectivity and cross-border trade were central to the development, which she described as consistent with the economic zone policy being finalised by her ministry.

“The next generation of zones is being built to be digital, green, and wired from the outset, with renewable energy, data connectivity and value chains that cross borders. That is the vision to which Afienya has been designed. It is also the benchmark my ministry has adopted in the economic zone policy now being finalised,” she stated.

Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said the park would operate under a model combining serviced land, performance-linked incentives and clearly defined service standards. She added that the approach could be replicated in other parts of the country.

In her welcome address, GFZA Chief Executive Officer Mary Awusi described the ceremony as historic and thanked President Mahama for attending, saying his presence demonstrated the government’s commitment to industrialisation, investment promotion, job creation and economic transformation.

Mahama tours factories at Afienya and Tema

Following the sod-cutting ceremony, President Mahama toured the Bright International Industrial Zone at Afienya, where he visited Huaguang Battery, Qianfeng International, Jiudine Ghana, Zema New Energy and the Funsheen Truck Assembly Plant.

He said his visit to the area the previous year had revealed only a few factories, but several more had since been established.

The President also visited DTRT Apparel Limited, trading as Dignity DTRT, a garment manufacturing company in Tema owned by Ghanaian entrepreneur and Managing Director Salma Salifu.

He commended Mrs Salifu for her perseverance and the growth of the business, recalling that it started with about 500 workers, many of them head porters, popularly known as kayayei, who received training with support from the Youth Employment Agency.

The company now employs more than 6,000 workers, most of whom are women.